Focusing binoculars



April 28, 1970 J. o. BRAY FOCUSING BINOCULARS Filed May 23 1968 I N VEN TOR.

United States Patent Oifice 3,508,805 Patented Apr. 28, 1970 US. Cl. 350-46 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates generally to a push button spring actuator for focusing binoculars.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention comprises a piston adapted to slide in a housing which is adapted ot be attached to standard binoculars. Said piston is operatively connected to the lens system of the binoculars. A bowed spring is attached to said piston and cooperates with a push button attached to said housing, whereby the depressing of said push button actuates said piston to focus said lens systems.

An object of my invention is to improve smoothness of operation in a binocular system by substituting a piston for the conventional screw focusing means.

A second object is to produce a more economical rapid focusing means in binoculars or the like.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 shows the push button assembly.

FIGURE 2 shows the piston and spring assembly.

FIGURE 3 shows my invention with locking means attached to standard binoculars.

FIGURE 4 is a more precise detail of the push b tton assembly.

FIGURE 5 shows a front view of a complete assembly.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION The housing A carries the loosely fitting push button F with the flanged wheel G adapted to fit over the spring D.

The spring D is attached at one of its ends to the piston C and at the other end thereof to the cylinder B as at BB.

The piston C slides in a bore of cylinder B. Said bore is approximately one-half the length of said cylinder. The piston and bore have only a small tolerance to provide for smooth operation therebetween.

The housing A is attached to the cylinder B as at AA with the binocular frames hinged to the cylinder at H and HH.

The eye pieces or oculars are attached to the piston C as indicated at K.

The stabilizing hinges between the housing A and the binocular frames are indicated at J.

A set screw L, with a handle, is threadedly received in the cylinder wall B and adapted to contact the piston C whereby said piston is locked in a predetermined adjusted and focused position.

OPERATION Assuming the set screw L to be in a retractable position, the push button is depressed, causing the piston C to move and actuate the lens system in the binocular frame. When proper focus has been obtained, the set screw is turned and locks the piston in the focused position.

The operation is simple, easy and quickly done.

What is claimed is:

1. A binocular device comprising a pair of frame members attached to a centrally located cylinder having a bore therein,

an optical system carried by each frame member and adapted for mutual cooperation,

a piston slidably received in said bore and attached to each of said optical systems,

a housing attached to said cylinder, a bowed spring in said housing, one end of said spring being attached to said piston and the other end being attached to said cylinder,

a push button slidably mounted in said housing midway of said bowed spring,

means rotatably carried by said push button and contacting said spring, whereby the depressing of said push button depresses said spring and causes the piston to move relatively to the housing,

and locking means between said cylinder and said piston for locking same in predetermined adjusted positions.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said locking means is a set screw.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein said r0- tatable means carried by said push button is a flanged wheel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 535,862 3/1895 Sawyer 350-77 X 2,418,298 4/1947 French 350*78 XR 3,312,518 4/1967 Bushnell 35%36 XR PAUL R. GILLIAM, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

